Fur-plucking or unhairing machine.



. No. 683,449. Patentedflct. I, l90l DRESDNER.

FUR PLUGKINGDB UNHMBING' MACHINE. (Application filed Aug. so, 1900. (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet L INVENITOR WITNESSES:

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FUR PLUGKING 0B UNHAIBING MACHINE.

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FUR PLUOKING 0B UNI-IAIBING MACHINE.

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' No. 683,449: Patented Out. I, [90L l. DRESDNEH. FUR PLUBKING DB UNHAIBING MACHINE.

A (Application filed Aug. 30,1900. I (No Model.) 5 Shets-Sheet 5.

UNITED TATES ATENT FFICE.

ISIDOR DRESDNER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE NEARSEAL UNHAIRING COMPANY, OF

NEW YORK, N; Y.

FUR-PLUCKING OR UNHAIRING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,449, dated October 1, 1901. Application filed August 30,1900. Serial lilo. 28,500. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISIDOR DRESDNER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough'of Brooklyn, Kings county, city and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fur-Plucking and Unhairing Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdr-awings, formingapart hereof.

This invention relates to machines which are adapted for removing from pelts or skins the coarse or water hairs.

The object of the invention is to improvesuch machines in various particulars, so that they shall perform their work more rapidly and efficiently and shall be more easily managed, the improved machine, moreover, being adapted for plucking or pulling out the coarse hairs or for cutting them or breaking them off, as may be desired.

The invention is particularly concerned with the means whereby the coarse hairs are made to stand out, so that they may be grasped by the plucking or unhairing devices.

Other features of the improvement will be pointed out hereinafter.

Theinvention is illustrated in a convenient and practical form in the accompanying drawings, in whi.eh-

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the improved machine. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation as seen from the right of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is'a view in vertical central section looking toward the right in Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a plan view of the machine, the eccentric-shaft and its connections being removed. Fig. 5 is a detail View of the roller which cooperates with the knife and its supporting devices. Fig. 6 is a detail View showing the plucking or unhairing jaws and means for controlling the same. Fig. 7 is. a detail view of the brush. Figs. 8 and 9 are detailviews, on a larger scale than in the other figures, illustrating the action of the jaws.

The main driving-shaft a of -the machine is supported in suitable hearings in the framework and receives motion in any suitable manner. In a convenient position in front of the driving-shaft a is mounted a knife or plate Z), over the edge of which the peltorskin I is drawn during operation thereon. The pelt or skin may be fastened for convenience to skin is drawn over the edgeof the knife I) slowly and with a step-by-step movement.

In proximity to the edge of the knife or plate b, and preferablya little above the same, is mounted a roller 6, preferably of soft rubber, which holds the fur back as the pelt or skin passes over the edge of the knife until the fur and hair are released by the forward feed of the pelt. The roller is preferably arranged to rotate upon a rod e, which, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, is supportedbyarms e projecting from a rod or shaft f. The latter is rotatably supported in the ends of levers 9, so that the roller 6 can be adjusted toward or from the edge of the knife, as may be required by the length of the fur or the hair; The rod or shaft f may be held in adjusted position by anyconvenient means. As represented in Fig. 5, each end of the rod or shaft receives, outside of the end of the lever g, a plate f, which has a pin f to engage the lever g, so that the plate is held from rotation and receives a set-screw f to bear upon the rod or shaft f and hold the same in its adjusted position of rotation. The roller eis pressed down upon the pelt or skin by weights g, attached to the levers g, and a foot plate or pedal 9 rests upon the cross-bar g which connects the lower ends of the levers g, so that by pressure upon the foot-lever or pedal 9 the roller (2 may be raised from the pelt or skin.

Cooperating with the roller 6, to permit the coarse hairs to stand out, so that they may be grasped by the jaws hereinafter referred to, is a brush it, which is mounted upon a shaft a, to rotate therewith and to card out the hair and fur and brush both downward, so that the coarse hairs, by reason of their greater resiliency, may spring out from the fur after the brush has passed out of contact with the pelt. In order that the jaws may be permitted to grasp the coarse hairs, the brush is made segmental, so that it shall pass out of the way of the jaws as they move into position to grasp the coarse hairs. Furthermore, in order that the brush maybe adjustable toward and from the plate b, according to the length of the fur or the hairs, and also to permit the wear of the bristles to be compensated, the brush is mounted upon radial arms a, as clearly shown in Fig. 7, said arms being secured to the shaft a and entering suitable ways formed in the end plates of the brush. Said arms may be slotted to receive bolts a by which the brush maybe secured in adjusted position upon the shaft.

The devices which pluck out or break off or cut off the coarse hairs comprise a pair of jaws i and k, which extend from side to side of the machine and are hinged together, as

by hinges l. The jaws are normally closed by springs m, which may be applied to the hinges, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 8, and 9. The

coacting portions of the jaws may be formed in any suitable manner to pluck out or break As shown in off or cut off the coarse hairs. the accompanying drawings, particularly Figs. 8 and 9, the upperjaw has a flat surface t" and the lower jaw has a sharp edge lo to coact with the fiat surface of the upper jaw. The 1 and bite or cut off the coarse hairs. lower jaw may also be provided at intervals with suitable openings 1& to permit the plucked-out or broken-off hairs to fall through upon the floor beneath the machine. The

jaws are reciprocated together toward and from the edge of the plate b, preferably in a. vertical direction, to seize and pluck out or' break off or cut off the coarse hairs, the jaws opening as they approach the edge of the plate to gather up the hairs between them and then closing upon such hairs to pluck: them out or break or cut them off. For thispu-rpose the jaws, being guided in suitablei ways on the side frame of the machine, are connected bya rod n, which is pivotally con-' nected to the upper jaw, to an eccentric 0 on. an overhead shaft 0', which may be driven. by a chain 19 and suitable chain-wheels 19 11 from the main driving-shaft a. The lower jaw k is also provided with a projecting arm 1', which strikes a stud or roller 5 as the jaws descend, causing the lower jaw to swing away from the upper jaw, so that the coarse hairs may be received between the two jaws. The

stud or roller is carried by a spring-press le- Ver t, and the latter at the proper time is struck by a cam u on the shaft (1, so that the stud or roller is moved away from the projecting arm 7", therebyvpermitting the lower jaw to be swung toward the other jaw by the 1 spring m to grasp or cut off the coarse hairs which then lie between the coac'ting portions of the jaws. As thejaws'begi-n their upward movement the coarse hairs so grasped between them will be plucked out or cut or broken off close to the pelt.

In the operation of the machine it will be understood that the pelt or skin being secured to the apron is slowly drawn over the edge of the knife with a step-by-step movement and that the coarse hairs and fur are both brushed down and carded out by the action of the brush, which permits the coarse hairs to spring out slightly from the fur. The jaws meanwhile are reciprocated rapidly toward and from the edge of the knife, opening as they approach the 'knife to gather up the coarse hairs that have sprung out from the fur by reason of their greater resiliency and immediately closing upon such hairs and plucking them out or cutting or breaking them off as they move away.

It will be understood that the various details of construction and arrangement may be varied more or less without departing from the spirit of the invention and that the invention, therefore, is not to be limited to the precise construction shown and described herein.

I claim as my invention- 1. A fur-plucking or unhairing machine, comprising a horizontally-disposed knife or plate over which the pelt or skin may be drawn, a pair of jaws having their opening next to the edge of said knife or plate, means for moving the jaws vertically past the edge of the knife or plate, means for opening and closing the jaws to receive and grasp the long hairs, and a rotary segmental brush below the level of. the knife or plate to act on the fur just prior to the descent of the jaws and then move out of the path thereof.

'2. In a fur-plucking or unhairing machine, the combination with a knife or plate over which the pelt or ski-n is drawn and jaws to grasp the coarse hairs, of a roller to press upon the pelt or skin, arms carrying the said-roller, a shaft to which said arms are secured, leverarms upon which said roller is rotatably-ad- .justable and means for operating said leverarms, substantially as described.

3. In a fur-pluckin g or unhairi-ng machine, the combination with a knife or plate over which the pelt or skin is drawn, and jaws for graspingthe coarse hairs, of a roller arranged to press upon the pelt or skin near the edge of the knife or plate, levers carrying said roller, weights connected to said levers and means to move said levers with the roller away from the pelt or skin, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a fur-plucking or unhairing machine, the combination with a knife or plate over which the pelt or skin is drawn, and jaws for grasping the coarse hairs, of a shaft having radial arms mounted in proximity to said knife orplate and a brush mounted adj ustably upon said arms whereby the brush may be moved toward or from said plate, substan tially. as shown and described.

5. In a fur-plucking or unhairing machine, the combination with means to cause the coarse hairs of a pelt or skin to stand out, of a pair of jaws hinged together, means to reciprocate said jaws toward and from the pelt or skin, a projecting arm secured to one of said jaws, and a stop in the path of said proj ecting arm to cause said jaws to open as they reciprocate, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a fur-plucking or unhairing machine,

' the combination with means to cause the coarse hairs of a pelt or skin to stand out, of a pair of jaws hinged together, means to reciprocate said jaws toward and from the pelt or skin, a projecting arm secured to one of said jaws, a stop in the path of said projecting arm, alever carrying said stop, and means to operate said lever, to withdraw the stop and permit said jaws to close, substantially as shown and described.

7. A fur-plucking or unhairing machine comprising a horizontally-disposed knife or plate around which the skin may be drawn, a pair of jaws hinged together one above the other with the opening next to the said knife or plate, means for reciprocating the jaws bodily up and down, means for swinging the lower jaw downwardly when it approaches the edge of said knife or plate and means for closing the said jaw when the upper jaw reaches said knife or plate, and means at the upper side of the knife or plate for holding down the pelt and fine fur against the upward pull of the jaws; substantially as described.

8. A fur-plucking or unhairing machine, comprising a horizontally-disposed knife or plate, means for feeding the skin therearound, a pressure device to press the pelt down upon the plate or knife at the edge thereof, vertically reciprocating plucking or dehairing jaws working past the edge of the knife or plate with the opening next thereto, means for opening the lower jaw to receive the long hair, means for closing said jaw thereupon just prior to the ascent of the jaws, and arotary segmental brush having its axis fixed with relation to said plate or knife; said brush acting downwardly on the fur just prior to the closing of the jaws and then passing out of the path thereof; substantially as described.

9. In a fur-plucking machine, the upper and lower jaws hinged together and provided with a closing-spring and an arm or projection on the lower jaw for opening it, the lower jaw having apertures through it for the escape of the hairs; substantially as described.

10. The combination with the plate or knife, the pelt-carrying apron passing around said plate or knife, a roller on which the apron is wound, a take-up roller to which the other end of the apron is connected, aratchet-wheel geared to the take-up roller, a pawl-and-lever mechanism for said ratchet-wheel, a main shaft from which said mechanism is operated, a verticallymovable hair -plucking device working past the edge of the plate or knife to remove the long hairs from the pelt, and actuated from the main shaft, arms projecting from the main shaft, a brush carried by said arms and acting on the pelt just prior to the descent of the said hair-plucking device, and then moving out of the path thereof; substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 28th day of August, A. D. 1900.

ISIDOR DRESDNER.

In presence of W. B. GREELEY, Louis E. NANEY. 

